The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (a Hunger Games Novel)

　　當「燃燒的女孩」凱妮絲還未誕生、「學舌鳥」尚未成為反抗軍的革命象徵之前，飢餓遊戲歷經過怎樣的黑暗歷史？時間回到《飢餓遊戲》首部曲的64年前，施惠國走過大戰後的黑暗歲月，曾經一手掌控「施惠國」的史諾總統，當時還只是個18歲的青年。就讀首都學院的史諾來自望族，並渴望證明自己的能力，而這時他的面前出現一個機會。第10屆飢餓遊戲即將開始，但觀眾對遊戲的興趣逐漸消失。為了讓遊戲更具可看性，史上第一次，遊戲加入導師機制，來自學院的優等生將被指派擔任導師，每人負責指導一位來自十二個行政區的貢品。　

　　青年史諾企圖心十足，但機會並不對他有利。當「飢餓遊戲」創始人公布每位導師負責的貢品，青年史諾暗自希望能分到優秀的貢品。所有人都看得出來自一、二區的貢品佔盡優勢，四到十一區的貢品也不時有不錯人選，然而當結果揭曉，青年史諾卻分到來自最貧困十二區的少女……　

　　青年史諾失望地接下這個任務，如今導師和貢品的命運緊密相連，每個決定有可能離勝利更進一步，更可能通往毀滅的深淵。遊戲規則之下，不計一切代價求生存，當競技場內展開殊死決戰，競技場外的青年史諾會如何權衡決斷？

　　It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capitol, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmaneuver his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.

　　The odds are against him. He’s been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined — every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute . . . and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.

Suzanne Collins is the author of the bestselling Underland Chronicles series, which started with Gregor the Overlander. Her groundbreaking young adult novels, The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay, were New York Times bestsellers, received wide praise, and were the basis for four popular films. Year of the Jungle, her picture book based on the year her father was deployed in Vietnam, was published in 2013 to great critical acclaim. To date, her books have been published in fifty-three languages around the world.